ISLAMABAD: Private Power & Infrastructure Board (PPIB) is said to have developed new arrangements for Category-III wind projects in Thatta, according to which K-Electric (KE) will purchase 300-MW electricity using its own transmission network, well informed sources in NEPRA told Business Recorder.
This was revealed by Managing Director, PPIB, Shah Jahan Mirza in a letter to Chairman National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra), Waseem Mukhtar.
According to sources, Managing Director stated that pursuant to the CCoE decision of February 27, 2019, subsequently approved by the Council of Common Interests (CCI) under ARE Policy 2019, PPIB is mandated, inter alia, to conduct competitive bidding for Category-III projects including 31 wind projects with a cumulative capacity of 2,139-MW.
300MW category–III wind project: SIFC EC directs PPIB to conduct bidding process
The Request for Proposal (RFP) documents for Category-III wind projects were submitted to Nepra by PPIB in May 2020 and approved by the Authority on February 16, 2021. However, despite efforts to commence the competitive bidding process for Category-III wind projects, it could not be conducted primarily due to the unavailability of Interconnection Ready Zones (IRZS) required for the evacuation of power from Category-III projects.
Considering that the majority of wind projects are located in Thatta, Sindh, and given that existing wind projects face curtailment due to transmission constraints in NTDC’s network, a new arrangement has been developed to facilitate the competitive bidding of Category-III wind projects, the Managing Director PPIB is said.
Under this arrangement, the sources said, K-Electric will serve as the off-taker/ purchaser for Category-III wind projects in the Sindh region, leading to the execution of Energy Purchase Agreements (EPAS) between K-Electric and successful bidders.
PPIB will conduct competitive bidding for Category-III wind projects on behalf of K-Electric (KE), which has confirmed a capacity of 300MW for evacuation through Cat-III wind projects, directly utilizing the K-Electric system. The said arrangement has also been ratified by SIFC during its 9th Apex Committee meeting, the sources maintained.
According to PPIB, implementation of the new arrangement for Category-III wind projects necessitates amendments to the existing RFP documents approved by the Authority which are being made by PPIB in consultation with K-Electric. The amended RFP documents will be finalised shortly for submission to the Authority for approval.
The sources said, PPIB has submitted the scheme to Nepra Authority’s information and consideration, with the request that any input/ guidance from the Authority at this stage would help the prompt initiation of the competitive bidding process for Category-III wind projects.
